Method and device for data processing using agents between evaluating means and distributing means

• US 7,424,401 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2002
• Issued: 09/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Evotec OAI AG
• Original Assignee: Evotec OAI AG
• Inventors: Peters, Hauke, Schmidt, Regina
• Primary Examiner(s): Wachsman; Hal D
• Application Number:
  US10/495,792
• Publication Number:
  US 20050043927A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,132 Days
• Field of Search: 702/189, 702/122, 702/182, 702/183, 702186-188, 719/317
• US Class Current: 702/189
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/96 Management of image or video recognition tasks

Abstract

A data processing method with which especially image data, generated by an image recording means such as a CCD camera, may be processed, comprises a data distributing means. The data are transmitted from the recording means to a manager of the data distributing means. The manager selects a suitable agent related to an evaluating means. Whether an agent is suitable depends on suitability parameters of the evaluating means. For example, suitability parameters are the availability and the type of software stored on the evaluating means. After selection of a suitable agent the data are transmitted between an agent and the corresponding evaluating means via an interposed agent and another manager (24). The data transmission is always done in standardized data containers.

Claims

1. A method for data processing comprising the following steps:

generating data by means of a recording means;

transmitting the data to a data distributing means for distribution of the data to a plurality of suitable data evaluating means, wherein, in the data distributing means,

the data to be evaluated are associated to a suitable data evaluating means, and

the data are transferred into a standardized data container for transmission, and

transmitting the standardized data container to the suitable data evaluating means, wherein

each suitable data evaluating means is associated with an agent on the side of the data distributing means and another agent on the side of the suitable data evaluating means, and wherein data exchanged between each suitable data evaluating means and the data distributing means are exchanged exclusively between the two agents,

wherein suitability parameters of the suitable data evaluating means are sampled for association of the data to a suitable evaluating means, and

wherein the suitability parameters are stored in a file of the agent on the side of the data distributing means, the file being specific to a suitable data evaluating means.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, in the recording means or in the data distributing means, the data are associated to an evaluation order, and the data are transmitted to the suitable data evaluating means together with the evaluation order in the standardized data container.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the agent on the side of the data distributing means is part of the data distributing means.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the suitability parameters of the suitable data evaluating means are sampled via the agent on the side of the data distributing means.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said sampling occurs during a starting-period.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each standardized data container is transmitted between the data distributing means and the suitable data evaluating means via a data telecommunication means.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each evaluating means comprises software, and the type of the software available and/or the version of the software and/or the availability of the software are transmitted as the suitability parameters of the data evaluating means.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each data evaluating means is associated with a suitability parameter and the suitable data evaluating means is selected by sequentially sampling the respective suitability parameters.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein each data evaluating means is associated with a suitability parameter and the suitable data evaluating means is selected by sampling the respective suitability parameters according to a predetermined priority order.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising a step of executing an evaluation order, wherein the agents or the data distributing means cancel the evaluation order after lapse of a predetermined period during which no report has been issued from the suitable data evaluating means, and transfers the evaluation order to another suitable data evaluating means.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein after the cancellation a test routine is performed in the suitable data evaluating means.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of executing an evaluation order, wherein, after execution of the evaluation order, the suitable data evaluating means reports back to the data distributing means, or to the agents, or to the data distributing means and to the agents.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein an evaluation result of an evaluation order is transmitted to a post-processing means.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said post-processing means comprises a data bank, or the data distributing means, or the data bank and the data distributing means.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of recording means, or a plurality of data distributing means, or a plurality of recording means and a plurality of data distributing means, are connected with a plurality of data evaluating means.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the data distributing means comprises a manager for organizing the agents.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the manager connects the data obtained from the recording means with a data container.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein a manager is associated to each suitable data evaluating means, the manager removing the data contained in the standardized data container and passing the data to the suitable data evaluating means together with an evaluation order.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the manager of the suitable data evaluating means connects the data processed by the suitable data evaluating means to a data container and passes the processed data to a manager of the data distributing means.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is acquired by screening.

21. A data processing installation, comprising

(a) a recording means for generating data;

and

(b) a data distributing means for transmitting the data to a plurality of suitable data evaluating means, wherein

the data distributing means is disposed to associate the data to be evaluated to the suitable data evaluating means, to transfer the data into a standardized data container for transmission, and to use the standardized data container for transmitting the data to the suitable data evaluating means; and

each suitable data evaluating means is associated with an agent on the side of the data distributing means and another agent on the side of the suitable data evaluating means, and wherein data exchanged between each suitable data evaluating means and the data distributing means are exchanged exclusively between the two agents, wherein the data processing installation performs a method for data processing comprising the following steps;

generating data by means of the recording means; and

transmitting the data to the data distributing means for distribution of the data to the plurality of suitable data evaluating means, wherein, in the data distributing means,

the data to be evaluated are associated to a suitable data evaluating means, and

the data are transferred into the standardized data container for transmission, and

transmitting the standardized data container to the suitable data evaluating means, wherein

suitability parameters of the suitable data evaluating means are sampled via the agent on the side of the data distributing means, and wherein suitability parameters of the suitable data evaluating means are sampled for association of the data to a suitable evaluating means, and the suitability parameters are stored in a file of the agent on the side of the data distributing means, the file being specific to a suitable data evaluating means.

22. Data storage medium comprising computer software stored on a computer readable medium, the software comprising instructions causing a processor to execute the steps of:

transmitting data from a recording means to a data distributing means, and then to a plurality of suitable data evaluating means,

wherein, in the data distributing means, the data to be evaluated are associated to the suitable data evaluating means, and the data are transferred into a standardized data container for transmission, and the data distributing means uses the standardized data container for transmitting the data to the suitable data evaluating means; and

wherein each suitable data evaluating means is associated with an agent on the side of the data distributing means and another agent on the side of the suitable data evaluating means, and wherein data exchanged between each suitable data evaluating means and the data distributing means are exchanged exclusively between the two agents, and

wherein suitability parameters of the suitable data evaluating means are sampled via the agent on the side of the data distributing means, wherein suitability parameters of the suitable data evaluating means are sampled for association of the data to a suitable evaluating means, and wherein the suitability parameters are stored in a file of the agent on the side of the data distributing means, the file being specific to a suitable data evaluating means.

23. A method for data processing comprising the following steps:

generating data by means of a recording means; and

transmitting the data to a data distributing means for distribution of the data to a plurality of suitable data evaluating means, wherein, in the data distributing means,

the data to be evaluated are associated to a suitable data evaluating means, and

the data are transferred into a standardized data container for transmission, and

transmitting the standardized data container to the suitable data evaluating means, wherein

each suitable data evaluating means is associated with an agent on the side of the data distributing means and another agent on the side of the suitable data evaluating means, and wherein data exchanged between each suitable data evaluating means and the data distributing means are exchanged exclusively between the two agents, and

wherein suitability parameters of the suitable data evaluating means are sampled via the agent on the side of the data distributing means, and

wherein the suitability parameters are stored in a file of the agent on the side of the data distributing means, the file being specific to a suitable data evaluating means.

24. A data processing installation, comprising

(a) a recording means for generating data;

and

(b) a data distributing means for transmitting the data to a plurality of suitable data evaluating means, wherein

wherein the data distributing means is disposed to associate the data to be evaluated to the suitable data evaluating means, to transfer the data into a standardized data container for transmission, and to use the standardized data container for transmitting the data to the suitable data evaluating means; and

each suitable data evaluating means is associated with an agent on the side of the data distributing means and another agent on the side of the suitable data evaluating means, and wherein data are exchanged between each suitable data evaluating means and the data distributing means are exchanged exclusively between the two agents, and

wherein suitability parameters of the suitable data evaluating means are sampled via the agent on the side of the data distributing means, and wherein the suitability parameters are stored in a file of the agent on the side of the data distributing means, the file being specific to a suitable data evaluating means.